In 2017, more than 20 NVTC member companies joined forces in NVTC’s Tech Talent Employer Collaborative (TTEC) to address their technology workforce needs associated with two specific positions: cybersecurity engineers and software developers. NVTC staff facilitated a series of meetings and activities, applying a proven supply chain management best practice-based methodology to help drive the development of a regional workforce with the skills our tech employers need.

2017 TTEC accomplishments include:

Forecasting of talent demands for both positions

Establishing a shared set of competencies and requirements

Analyzing the major sources of this talent and talent flows

Identifying local Preferred Talent Providers

NVTC is excited to announce the continuation of the TTEC and its expansion, both in focus and participation. In 2018, the TTEC will continue its work, adding data analytics and network infrastructure while maintaining focus on cybersecurity and software development. The goal is to assist participating tech employers by increasing the number of qualified candidates to fill open positions in the region.

Can your company benefit from networking and strategizing with other local companies to produce improved workforce results?

HR/talent acquisition leaders knowledgeable about their organization’s current human capital demand and future needs are invited to join our kickoff meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 5 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at a location in the Tysons-Dulles corridor.

For more information about our Employer Collaborative and meeting details, email NVTC Research and Strategic Initiatives Manager John Shaw.

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On March 14, over 100 members of the region’s technology, workforce, recruiting and education communities convened at CIT in Herndon for the NVTC Workforce and Education Committee and Fairfax County Economic Development Authority’s Best Practices in Talent Recruitment panel event and Talent Provider Showcase.

ABBTECH Professional Services President Threase Baker, Altamira Technologies Corporation Chief Human Capital Officer Ray Khuo and Deloitte Federal Talent Acquisition Leader Kendy Rusiewski headlined an engaging panel session which was moderated by Tonia Patt, Principal at My Talent Consultant. Panelists discussed their involvement in the NVTC Tech Talent Employer Collaborative which brings NVTC members together to explore the current and future talent needs of the region’s technology employers and instituting programs to positively affect the development of a workforce with the right skills and competencies.

Speakers shed light on some of the challenges they face in recruiting tech talent in the region. Some of these recruiting challenges include:

Long delays for secret clearance positions due to the lengthy security clearance process

Finding talent with the necessary certifications, especially in cybersecurity, and the difficulties candidates face with transitioning certifications from one position to another

Developing attractive benefit packages

Building a well-rounded recruiting team with passion and high-level communications skills

Panelists also highlighted their best practices for tech recruiting. Some of these include:

Referrals: the majority of panelists agreed referrals were a top pipeline for getting qualified candidates in the door

Utilizing innovative technologies like AI to find qualified talent and using technology to tap into the social and professional networks for high-performing current employees in order to “meet them where they live”

Engaging with the potential talent pool earlier through involvement in in high school STEM programs and college co-op and internship programs

The event also featured a Talent Provider Showcase where attendees connected with the region’s academic institutions and talent providers and learned about how their tech-focused programs producing graduates with the most in-demand skills.

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In 2017, more than 20 NVTC member companies joined forces in NVTC’s Tech Talent Employer Collaborative (TTEC) to address their technology workforce needs associated with two specific positions: cybersecurity engineers and software developers. NVTC staff facilitated a series of meetings and activities, applying a proven supply chain management best practice-based methodology to help drive the development of a regional workforce with the skills our tech employers need.

2017 TTEC accomplishments include:

Forecasting of talent demands for both positions

Establishing a shared set of competencies and requirements

Analyzing the major sources of this talent and talent flows

Identifying local Preferred Talent Providers

NVTC is excited to announce the continuation of the TTEC and its expansion, both in focus and participation. In 2018, the TTEC will continue its work, adding data analytics and network infrastructure while maintaining focus on cybersecurity and software development. The goal is to assist participating tech employers by increasing the number of qualified candidates to fill open positions in the region.

Can your company benefit from networking and strategizing with other local companies to produce improved workforce results?

HR/talent acquisition leaders knowledgeable about their organization’s current human capital demand and future needs are invited to join our kickoff meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 5, 2018 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Tysons Corner.

For more information about our Employer Collaborative and meeting details, email NVTC Research and Strategic Initiatives Manager John Shaw.

Recruiting and screening activities to help attract qualified applicants

Employee development and retention services, including financial incentives and grant funding

Business consultation and planning to enhance your business performance

Click here to learn more about CPID available services or email CPID IT Sector Coordinator Lauren Parker or contact Lauren by phone at 703-689-1793.

Announcing a NEW Webinar Series!

NVTC is currently hosting a series of webinars detailing how you can take advantage of the resources to support the relatively untapped talent pool of individuals with disabilities and Veterans. The webinar series will also address assistive technologies and disability etiquette. Members of your human resource, facilities operations, talent acquisition, diversity and inclusion, training, compliance, and legal departments are encouraged to participate!

March 15: Diversity at Work and Disability Etiquette 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
LaPearl Smith, Business Development Manager with the Department for Aging and Rehabilitation Services, and Diana McBride, Business Relation Specialist with the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired, will provide information on diversity at work and disability etiquette. Register here.

On. Jan.18, NVTC hosted the first webinar on recruiting, hiring and training individuals with disabilities. Kathy West-Evans, M.P.A, CRC, Director of Business Relations for Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), offered useful information on affirmative action strategies to assist businesses in recruiting, hiring and training individuals with disabilities and Veterans into their workforce.

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Beginning in January 2018, the NVTC Tech Talent Initiative will host a series of webinars detailing how you can take advantage of the resources to support the relatively untapped talent pool of individuals with disabilities and Veterans. The webinar series will also address assistive technologies and disability etiquette. Members of your human resource, facilities operations, talent acquisition, diversity and inclusion, training, compliance, and legal departments are encouraged to participate.

Jan. 18: Recruiting, Hiring and Training Individuals with Disabilities 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Kathy West-Evans, M.P.A, CRC, Director of Business Relations for Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), will offer information on affirmative action strategies to assist businesses in recruiting, hiring and training individuals with disabilities and Veterans into their workforce. Register here.

March 15: Diversity at Work and Disability Etiquette 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
LaPearl Smith, Business Development Manager with the Department for Aging and Rehabilitation Services, and Diana McBride, Business Relation Specialist with the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired, will provide information on diversity at work and disability etiquette. Register here.

Learn more about the Tech talent Initiative’s workforce resources and participation opportunities here.

In a continued effort to address the talent needs of NVTC members and the Greater Washington technology community, NVTC’s Tech Talent Initiative (TTI) is partnering with the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) to address the development of cybersecurity, data analytics and engineering competencies through curriculum that aligns with the skills used by government and industry practitioners, amongst other activities.

Through this multi-pronged approach, BHEF uses evidenced-based practices to meet business’ needs, correcting misalignments in a region’s workforce through strengthening efforts to develop highly-skilled, engaged professionals. These regional talent pathways help create undergraduate programs that produce a diverse pool of enabled, workforce-ready graduates with the right skills and competencies for today’s high-skill jobs.

NVTC’s partnership with BHEF is one part of their HEWI work in Greater Washington, and will focus on competency mapping in data analytics, cybersecurity and engineering. NVTC is taking on the role of convener, and is currently gathering practitioners for two roundtables during which practitioners will review and update existing straw man competency maps specific to data analytics and engineering, as well as cybersecurity and engineering. The data analytics and engineering session is scheduled for Wednesday, May 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Reston, Va., and the cybersecurity and engineering session is scheduled for Wednesday, May 24, also from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Reston, Va. For more information on these sessions or to participate, please contact me by clicking here: John Shaw.

We are also staging an Internship Roundtable for Emerging and Technology Fields on Wednesday, June 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., again in Reston, Va. This session will address how developing early professional relationships with students can give companies a competitive advantage in building a qualified workforce and will help NVTC and BHEF develop best practices for recruiting, mentoring, hiring and retaining students in high-demand tech fields. For more information or to participate for the internship roundtable, please contact me by clicking here: John Shaw.

Click here to learn more about NVTC’s Tech Talent Initiative and here to access BHEF’s published content.

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Did you know corporate ransomware cost companies $24 million in lost profits in 2015? Or that 55% of technology sector openings in Virginia are in cybersecurity?

These powerful cybersecurity statistics are just some of the data highlighted in NVTC’s newly published series of infographics, white papers and reports addressing important and trending industry topics. The first infographic in this series focuses on cybersecurity and highlights workforce issues, cybersecurity incidents and funding in our region. Access the cybersecurity infographic at this link:http://www.nvtc.org/documents/resources/NVTC_Cybersecurity_Infographic_July_2016.jpg

In addition to infographics, future published items will include white papers and reports. Research topics under consideration include:

Skill gaps and pain points in the IT workforce

Regional economic snapshots, including an analysis of the impact of data centers on Virginia’s economy

Big Data and analytics

Cloud computing

Health technology

Human capital development

Innovation

Agile development and DevOps

Business development best practices

Networks and telecommunications

Governance

Mobility

Privacy and security

IT modernization

Open data

Leveraging the millennial workforce

Financial management systems

Acquisition and procurement

Emerging technology

Our first in-depth research project involves identifying and quantifying the skill set needs of the region’s technology employers, comparing those needs to the current workforce, and proposing changes that should be made to address any gaps. It will include a detailed analysis of talent pipeline issues, recommend training and certifications needed to upskill the workforce to help close the gap, provide needs assessment results to educators and training institutions and recommend actions to improve the regional workforce pipeline moving forward. The first part of this project is scheduled to be published in late October 2016.

Sponsorships for the infographic series, in-depth research projects and other NVTC research activities are now available. Please contact Yolanda Lee at YLee@nvtc.org for more information.